Tag Archives: growth

Sep25

Final GOC Update: Faye (At-Home Player)

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via Faye of That NY Poet Girl

I haven’t been updating on the GOC and need to before school starts because I am going to be busy and it will be over in September!

Hair Goals and Regimen:
I have been washing my hair every 7-10 days using the Sauve Naturals Shampoo and condish with HH as a detangler and Shea Moisture/coconut oil as moisturizer/sealer. I have experienced extreme drying due to the high heat and humidity and then blow drying my hair. I attempted to go with it for a while, but the combination of wearing my hair out and being in the hot sun was not a good look. I haven’t been wearing as many protective styles and as a result my hair has been frizzy and dry :(.

In other (GREAT) news – My hair has grown almost back to where it was before I cut the layers, which is impressive! Overall, I am happy with my growth thus far after cutting off about 1 inch in the layering process! I also cut off another 1/2 – 3/4 inch on a search and destroy mission that went too far O_o! I have seen about 3 inches of growth over the past 4 months!! And overall I retained about 1.5 inches of growth!

I’m getting braids today for the month of September and October, so I am going to miss the end of the GOC! Therefore, I am going to chart my progress in photos from May until September 1st.

First Length Check 5/12

Pre-layering Braid-Out 5/12

Pre-layering Pic 6/12

Post-layering Pic 6/12

Post-layering Braid Out 6/12

Traci Ellis Ross – Inspired Look 7/12

Braid-out Grown Out! 7/12

Take 2 with better lighting! 7/12

This is my hair now! 8/12

Health & Fitness
I wasn’t as diligent in my workout routine unfortunately, but I am going to get back on the horse this fall. Overall though, I have dropped the ball on my fitness goals. Partially, because I had nowhere to go this summer (i.e. Miami or LA), which sucks for me and is sooo horrid! LOL! I usually start in the Spring with a full body cleanse and only have very little to lose. But, this spring, I didn’t cleanse, had gained so much over the winter due to my accident and physical limitations and was way more busy than I expected to be this summer.

I am still 155 lbs! SMH! But, at least I have not gained any weight! (-_-)

Also, to compound the issues – my son had gone through a traumatic experience and wasn’t sleeping well, which meant NO ONE was sleeping well! LOL!

Anywho…. The fitness goals I have now are for the end of the year at this point. I read an article from Wellness Mama on Hormone Balance, which discusses supplements and alternative exercises like walking and weight lifting instead of intense workouts which seem to exacerbate the problems.

I also found a video on Leptin that says that perhaps I need to change my diet first and keep my exercise to a minimum in order to restore my hormone levels, because I was having problems with my insulin and sugar levels.

Final Thoughts
Things that I will do differently with the next challenge for my hair:

  1. I will be consistent with my protective styling.
  2. I will be consistent with my regimen.
  3. I will NOT cut my hair in the middle of the challenge! LOL! ^_^
  4. I will measure my hair with a measuring tape so that I can more accurately measure my growth and make a tank top for measuring as well.

For my fitness goals

  1. I will monitor and correct my hormone imbalance so that I am working smarter and not harder!
  2. I will work out consistently and work on building muscle.
  3. I will make sure that I eat well and when I fall off the wagon, I will get back on immediately!

That’s it! That’s all folks!

GOC Done!
~Faye
TNPG

Will follow up with pics of my new hair (as soon as its done!)

♦

Thanks for playing Faye!! Best of luck as your journey continues and, we’ll “see” you around ;)!

Check out Faye’s other GOC-The Sequel posts here:
Initial Submission
May Update

And if you want to see  how her braids turned out, see her results post here!

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Sep20

July-August Update: Gwenda (#8)

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Hair
Hey Curlfriends! Well, I am so ashamed to say that this is the only update I got around to doing! I have been going through a bunch of life transitions lately, so I’ll let that be my excuse! I ended up trading out my complicated and stupid long regimen for one of simplicity. The reason I did away with my original regimen was based upon the fact that it took way too much time! I would end up not doing anything to my hair just because I dreaded doing all that stuff to my hair!

I adopted a KISS plan! I wash and deep condition my hair once a week. After I wash and condition I apply a leave in, apply castor oil to my scalp and ends, and then apply a cream moisturizer. After my hair dries, I do a roll, tuck and pin protective style. I wash my hair with the SheaMoisture Moisture Retention shampoo. I DC with the SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Masque. I use SheaMoisture’s Moisture Retention conditioner or the Giovanni Leave-In as my leave-in and then I use the Curl Enhancing Smoothie from SheaMoisture as my cream moisturizer. This new regimen keeps all the work in one day and plus my hair is super moisturized and healthy now! My hair has never felt this good and this strong!

I had box braids twice, for about 3 weeks each season. Other than that I have been rolling, tucking, and pinning! Wash and go’s and puffs have also been plentiful.
The amount of growth I have seen makes me so … Giddy! Look at these two pictures!
I actually had 3 inches of growth in six months! I didn’t get to arm pit length, but shoulder length made me happy! The front section went from not touching my nose at all, to being nostril length. The sides went from being collar bone length, to being chin length. Finally, the back went from being collar bone length, to being full on shoulder length! I had around 3 inches of growth on all sides and, the thing that gets me is, I wasn’t even putting my all into my hair care! I was seriously slacking! Just imagine what I can do if I actually put forth effort! I stopped taking Biotin, but I plan on starting back on those. I

Health & Fitness
When it came to following a fitness regimen, that went all the way out the window. But, I also plan on actually starting and sticking to a weight loser challenge! Time to get fit!

♦

Check out Gwenda’s initial GOC – The Sequel post here. 

Sep19

August GOC Update: Cococrispecurl (#32)

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Hair
Hi Ladies! Checking in for the month of August! After seeing Adrienne’s Yarn Braids at Shelli’s DMV Hair Meet-Up earlier this year, I became obsessed with them. I researched them on YouTube for months and came to the conclusion that I needed a professional installation; however all the braiders I spoke to didn’t know what I was talking about. I ended up reaching out to my oldest and dearest friend’s sister, Samara, who is a loctitian, and she was happy to give it a try.

The day before I was still scouring YouTube for installation tips, preparation and maintenance and I came across GranolaHeads2010 installation video:

via Granolaheads2010 (aka StayWoo: GOC Contender #1)

I noticed that she was doing something different: Yarn Wraps! I liked this idea better than braids, because my hair would be completely covered, thereby protected from the elements. And, with the length of my hair being what it is, seeing my hair mixed with yarn all the way down may not have been as visually pleasing as I imagined it to be. After a quick text and sending GranolaHeads2010’s video to Samara, I was getting Yarn Wraps!

The first thing I did was to get a trim.

The week prior to getting wraps, I went swimming and the chlorine really stripped my hair. I coated it with conditioner, but I should have worn a swim cap. To get it back on track, I did the following:

  • Separated hair into 2 sections.
  • Cleansed and conditioned with Curls Cleanser and Conditioner (first time use: 2 thumbs up).
  • Deep conditioned with Aveda’s Dry Remedy, under the dryer for 30 minutes (first time use: 2 thumbs down. BOO! I returned it the next day for a refund.)
  • Re-applied Curls Conditioner for 5 minutes in the shower.
  • Rinsed and finished with cool water.
  • Applied a teaspoon of Curls conditioner.
  • Separated hair into 4 sections.
  • Applied Karen’s Body Beautiful Hair Butter (mixed with my own oils) from root to tip and braided each section.

It was still damp in the morning, but that’s okay. I don’t like it to be totally dry when I take it out.
At night, I braided my hair into 4 sections and applied hair butter to the ends and edges.

The day before getting braids:

  • Pre-pooed for 15 minutes under the dryer with EVOO and coconut oil. I focused on my edges, kitchen and ends.
  • Shampooed scalp with Head N Shoulders.
  • Cleansed hair with Curls cleanser and conditioner.
  • Deep conditioned with a homemade concoction
  • Applied Bed Head Moisture Maniac for 5 minutes in the shower. Rinsed lightly.
  • Separated hair into 4 sections, and followed the L (water), O (coconut oil), C (Karen’s Body Beautiful Creamylicious) method from root to tip.
  • Loosely twisted each section so it would dry by my appointment.
  • In the morning, applied another layer of KBB Creamylicious to each section.

Installation Day:
After 29 hours (Day 1 = 13 hours; Day 2 = 16 hours), it was finally done! I love, love, love them!! I forgot how tender-headed I am, especially around my edges and kitchen. Samara was careful and used bigger sections. After a week, I was able to move them around and begin playing with styles. Side note: Africa’s Best Organics Itch Relief Cornrow & Scalp Remedy is a lifesaver. I plan on keeping them in for six weeks. Hopefully, I’ll see some growth and my ends will be in good shape.

I’ve been going to Samara weekly for maintenance and styles. My original intention was to try new styles (braids, ponytails, buns) on my own, but after seeing all the styles that can be done with locs, decided to treat them as such and have been getting loc styles. I cannot stop touching them!

Yarn Wrap Regimen:
After two weeks, I cleansed my scalp with a toothbrush and Head and Shoulders and used a mixture of KBB Sweet Ambrosia, Giovanni Direct Leave-in, coconut oil, jojoba oil and water from scalp to ends. Next month, if I wash it again (wraps are painfully heavy when wet), I’ll use my sulfate-free shampoo and add castor oil to the mixture. Head & Shoulders was way too drying.


Health & Fitness:
I’ve started a new meal plan/program and have lost 13 pounds so far.

Happy Growing Ladies!

♦

Check out Cococrispecurl’s other GOC-The Sequel posts here:
Initial Submission
April Update
May/June/July Update

And stay tuned for her September update to learn about the Yarn Wraps take down and hear her final thoughts on this protective style!

Sep18

July-August GOC Update: TerrificLady (#6)

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July Update
Not much for my July update.

I hennaed my hair again on July 21st. Afterwards I, applied my home made moisturizer/conditioner to my hair for 1 hour. The moisturizer/conditioner ingredients are as follows:

  • Shea Butter
  • EV Olive Oil
  • EV Coconut oil
  • Tea Tree EO
  • Avocado butter
  • Little bit of Shea butter leave-in conditioner
  • Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil-Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion
  • Aloe Vera Gel

I mix it all together with a stick blender.


I also try trimmed/dusted my ends, because they are very dry. I took off about 1/4 to 1/2 inch most areas. I am sure I miss some areas, but thats ok.

I used flexi rods again too!

My hair still has quite some single strand knots and breakage, especially around the edges. I am not sure what is causing it, but I hope that when I can get my hair in one, I won’t manipulate my
hair too much.

August Update
In August, I purchased quite a few items! First, let me tell you that I am super happy that I finally bought my own camera, since my old one went kaput back in April/May. I received it on August 16th.

On August 11th, I did a henna/indigo treatment and used a conditioner mixture again that consisted of honey, 3000 IU of Vitamin E, EVOO, tea tree EO, Mizani Moisterfusion and Olive Oil Hair Mayonaise.

I noticed my edges getting thinner. So, I also bought some new products like Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) and Wild Growth Hair Oil. I started using them about a week ago, however I am using the JBCO at the left side front edges and the Wild Growth Oil at the right side. I just want to experiment and see if and which side grow faster, maybe in 3 months.

Right side edges; left side edges.

I received grapeseed oil I ordered on Amazon and I finally travelled to the States at the end of August and visited the Sally’s store in Miami. I bought 2 Shea Moisture products at Target to start using in September: the Curl Enhancing Smoothie and the Deep Treatment Mask. I will update you on the result when I use any of them.

And since I was going to be in the States, I order henna and indigo to last me hopefully a year and it was delivered to the hotel where I was going to stay before I reached it. Took less than a week compared to one month last time.

I dusted/trimmed my hair again on August 26th, because I found my ends to be very frizzy. Don’t like the feel of it.

On August 26th, I did a conditioning treatment with Mizani moisturefusion, honey,grapeseed oil, coconut oil and tea tree EO. My God, this is the first time my hair came out super soft and tangle free. For me, this was the best result from a (deep) conditioning.

I also tried to get my hair in one finally, with the help of Eco Styler Gel. Lol.

Ohhh, how can I forget?! I bought a flat-iron :-)! It’s a Solia. I used it the same day I deep conditioned my hair. I find it difficult to flat-iron my hair myself, therefore I simply tried to loosen the curls/coils some. Didn’t like the outcome, however my hair was easier to handle.



♦

See TerrificLady’s initial GOC Submission and prior updates here:

Initial GOC Submission
April Update
May Update
June Update

Sep4

July-August GOC Update: Deborah (#27)

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This is waaay overdue!

I’m having a hard go of it learning my hair, it’s texture and what is best. However, I won’t dwell on it. As I am a somewhat healthy person, my hair has grown in spite of me not knowing what to do with it! Now, will I get points for retention? I don’t know…

My biggest challenge right now is keeping it moist. Here’s my current regimen:

  • Currently I co-wash twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. It drys out if I go any longer than that and I notice more hair going down the drain.
  • While it’s wet and with plenty of conditioner, I detangle with a wide tooth comb.
  • I have learned that my hair is very dense and I’m beginning to section it to make sure any oil or other product used actually gets in to the roots.
  • Once I put the oil and leave-in conditioner in my hair by sections, I let it air dry.

I’m looking for styles to wear. My little afro is getting bigger. In my initial post, my hair was about 1 1/2 inches long. Now, when I measure it, I have about 3 inches. In the front, it comes down below my eyebrows. On the sides, it’s earlobe length and, in the back, it can reach my shirt collar. It’s funny, because I can feel it on my ears during the day and find myself reaching up to see what that is touching me at times.

 

I can tell that shrinkage will forever be my partner in crime (lol). I tried a twist out and was not happy with the results, but will try again at some point.

That’s pretty much it. Your posts as of late have been really encouraging. It’s good to know that you’re not alone with having to have patience with your hair, regardless of length and texture. I am looking forward to finding a “sweet spot” in my journey. But don’t get me wrong, I have not had the urge to perm my hair at all.

Thanks for the opportunity to share and good luck to all on your journey!!

Deborah

Sep3

July GOC Update: Marsha #24

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by Marsha of Hairology (aka 24 Hour Hair)

So last night I did a wash and a color rinse, then I decided to do an impromptu blow out. I started a hair challenge back in April with Hairscapades, so I hadn’t straightened my hair since March (I think). I will celebrate 3 years post relaxer at the end of this month and 2 years completely natural in the first week of September.

This is a pic of my last blowout back in March.

I’m kinda shocked myself at the results, because I was not really expecting this much volume. I combed my wet curls and hated doing so with a big tooth comb. You see I have not used a comb in months, I’ve solely been using my fingers. So I cringed at the ball of hair after combing (sorry no pics).

And NOW:

 

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Want to see what Marsha has been up to since her last update in April? Then check out all of her posts at Hairology! 

Aug14

June/July GOC Update: Charelle (#10)

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by Charelle of CandyCurl.com

Hair
The past couple of months have been the most eventful months of my life, thus far. I quit my job and moved to Philadelphia for medical school. With all these changes, I have to say my hair has suffered. I don’t remember the last time I deep conditioned and I’ve been relying mostly on wash n gos. It’s become apparent to me that I’m not going to have as much free time as I used to for doing my hair. So, I’m going to have to figure out a way to keep my hair healthy and not spend hours doing it.

Other than that, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of length I retained when I did my 3 month length check, I hope to be at my goal of BSL by the end of the challenge.


March 2012 (left); July 2012 (right)

The only new product that I’ve tried these past two months has been Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner, since everyone has been raving about it. I like the smell and the consistency and how it makes my hair feel, so it’s definitely a keeper. I also did a flexirod set and I loved the results. I used about 33 of the red rods and separated the
curls once the set was dry. I’ll definitely be doing these sets more often.

Health and Fitness
I’ve purposely not included this category in my GOC updates for the past couple of months, because I made no effort at being healthy or fit. But now, I’m back on track. At school, I met a few people who love working out, so I followed them to the gym. I’ve been working out hard 3 days a weeks and restricted my caloric intake to about 1000 calories a day. Losing weight is definitely much easier when you have a support system. So far, I’ve lost about 5 pounds.

♦

Find Charelle’s other GOC posts here:

Initial Submission
April Update
May Update

Aug13

April-July GOC Update: Nadine (#30)

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Wow! So long overdue. It has been a hectic couple of months. So many life changes. April/May/June/July was a tough time regimen-wise. I fell off. Dyed my hair. Started again (luckily I did not lose any hair). I lost a loved one, changed jobs, went abroad and have been working on my fashion knit-wear label. In progress, but back to hair talks. With all of this, however, I still manage to grab my daily fix of Hairscapades and Curly Nikki … Oh, and from time to time, BGLH.

Hair

Regimen (night):

  1. Part hair into 8-10 sections; spritz using a mix of 2 parts conditioner to 3 parts water.
  2. Detangle sections with fingers and then wide tooth comb (if after a WnG).
  3. Seal with oil mix of jojoba, rosemary, lavender, amla and almond oil (occasionally I remove the amla, depends on the state of my hair) and whipped shea butter (courtesy of Naptural85).
  4. Twist hair back into sections and pull into a ponytail with ends protected.

I have learned a lot about my hair. How different hair textures curl, shrinkage (to the max) and my middle part has heat damage from when I used to weave. It will not curl at all, which is a pain as it’s in the center of my head.

Regimen (day):
Is simple. I moisturize using Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment (my hair loves the stuff) and HEHH. I take down twists, fluff and go. Or, I usually use Eco Styler to bun my hair.

Go To Styles:
Buns, puffs, pompadours, WnG (especially while in Marmaris, Turkey),  stretched twist outs, etc.

I dyed my ends ombre-style using Superdrug Mango Copper hair dye. I dyed it once, it never took. Spent a few weeks treating my hair, moisturizing, making sure it was healthy and, today, I will colour it once more. Funnily enough, this is the colour I used to use back in college ’05 to dye my whole head. I am surprised that I still cannot get enough of this colour. I have been treating my hair with my senna mix (courtesy of YouTuber ‪CestMoiSamii‬ ). Also, I still do my ACV rinses once a month.

Still on a “no heat” program. The last time I trimmed my hair was when I put in a weave last September. I have noticed SSK after repeatedly WnGing whilst abroad.

I went to Marmaris in Dalaman, Turkey. There was a heat wave of 47 °C, which dried out my hair. My ends felt dry and brittle, but a quick spritz with my conditioner would often revive my thirsty hair.

I have learnt so much about my hair!!!!

Here are a few pics of my hair over the holiday and most recently!

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My next hairstyle is inspired by Melanie Fiona’s. This time video when she has the long braid … loved it! Can’t wait to show you updates next month whilst protective styling.

Also, follow my Instagram: @Nads X_o_x_o (or @nadcam). I post hair pics fairly regular on there.

Till the end of August,

Nads
xoxo

♦

It’s been a while, so I’m sure you could use a reminder about where Nadine started and her goals. Find her Initial GOC-The Sequel post here.

Jul3

May-June GOC Update: Rebecca (#33)

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I hope everyone’s keeping cool this summer. I just wanted to give a quick update on my hair journey.

In May, when I kicked off the GOC, I finally got my mom to get a big chop to go natural and leave her long time affair with the relaxer. Now, here’s where I think I deserve a medal :P. I big chopped with her!!!

She was afraid to go through with it, so I did it with her to prove how carefree it would be to not have to be a slave to the salon every two weeks like she had been doing. Now, all the money that she saves from not going to the salon is used to help get her fix since … she is now an official product junkie, lol.

I must admit, as soon as I promised my mom what I was going to do it with her, I immediately thought about my hair goal. To bring me back to reality on the fact that it’s just hair, I had to remind myself that, for the last 5 months, I have been telling my mom, “A big chop is not a big deal and your hair will grow back to mid back length again, but healthier!” (She had breakage from heat styling and her scalp was sensitive to the relaxers.) I didn’t want to be a hypocrite, so I bit my tongue and went through with it. And, I must admit, I love the freedom of short hair!!! There’s no detangling sessions :)! However, secretly, the length shock did bug me a little at first.

I added some color to it mid May.

And then in June, I took it a step further!!

I got some honey blonde highlights. My thoughts on this was that my hair was short and this is a first for me, so I might as well experiment. Now I do DTs twice a week to keep it moisturized. I plan on still growing my hair out and keeping it healthy.

I’m not sure if you can tell, but my TWA has gotten a little higher since May. My hair is growing pretty noticeably, so I can’t wait to send another update in August!

Mom and I with our new hair cuts at the Naturally Curly Pool Party 2012!

♦

If you missed it, check out Rebecca’s Initial GOC-The Sequel submission here.

Jun26

May GOC Update: Etoile (#15)

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by Etoile of The Curvealicious Chronicles

Hair
Loving that it is summer and I am back to my summer WnG routine using the Tightly Curly Method! I went to see my hair affair aka the Curl Whisperer aka Ms. Tameeka of Jaded Tresses last month for a cut and color. She did a modest trim and my longest length now reaches BSL! I have retained about 5″+ of length in 10 months!

My Summer Hair Care Regimen and HG Products are:

Weekly:

  • Pre-Poo overnight with olive oil or jojoba oil.
  • Spritz my hair with water and saturate hair with deep conditioner. I am currently using Blended Beauty Herbal Reconditioner. Then steam my hair for 20 minutes.
  • 1x weekly, shampoo hair with Blended Beauty Soy Cream Shampoo. 1 or 2x weekly (depending on my work out schedule), co-wash with Aussie Moist or HEHH.
  • Wet my hair under the shower stream and finger detangle with either HEHH or Aussie Moist.
  • Apply Blended Beauty Curl Styling Butter using the ‘Rake’ method that Tameeka taught me. I then let my curls air dry until 90% dry, then bend over at the waist massing the roots to give me volume and shake my head from side to side.

Note: The Blended Beauty Curl Styling Butter is my new ‘ish OMYGAWWWW, it smells delish, leaves my curls touchably soft and gives me hold for days and days! At night, I pineapple and sleep on a satin pillowcase. In the morning, I allow the mist from the shower to dampen my hair, apply a dab of the Curl Styling Butter to the length, scrunch my curls and that’s it! I love that I can use one product to condition and hold. The curl styling butter gives me shine AND moisture. New HG! The key ingredients: Aloe and chamomile water, shea butter, rice bran oil.

Health & Fitness
Ummmm we WON’T even go there. I am pretty sure that Oreo Cookies are not on the diet plan …

I just got back on my work-out grind last week with boot camp and Belly Dance class … we will leave it at that!

♦

Missed Etoile’s original GOC-The Sequel post or just want a refresher? Then, check out her first post here!